Abstract:

In the last two years the amount of published diagnostic information on effective frequency has increased considerably. Most of this work, which challenges much current established thinking, has been concerned solely with television, but in itself this concentration of effort on a competitive medium is significant for publishers. A number of key studies of this type, with their conclusions, are described briefly. The recent work by Millward Brown for IPC Magazines Ltd is also concerned with frequency, but it focuses attention on the extent to which the impact of magazine campaigns can be increased by ensuring that individual creative treatments do not become over- exposed. This work is described and the conclusions drawn so far described. This Millward Brown work is breakthrough and very positive research for publishers, but it is argued that it needs to be seen as only the start of a programme of sales related experimental studies designed to explore the mechanics of print advertising campaigns. It is suggested that print has much to gain from such greater knowledge.